Progressive Democrats Call Out Party For Taking ‘Toxic Money’ From Israel Lobbying Group

Progressive lawmakers who have condemned Israel’s assault on Gaza are demanding Democratic leadership do more to combat a multimillion-dollar election-year backlash funded by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Washington’s most powerful pro-Israel group.

Several House incumbents, including some of the party’s rising progressive stars, are facing primary challengers funded by AIPAC, which has raised millions from Republicans. The three largest individual donors to its super PAC, United Democracy Project, are longtime Republican supporters who have given the party millions of dollars, its latest disclosures showed.

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), whose challenger is courting pro-Israel donors, called for Democratic primary candidates to reject AIPAC’s help outright.

“It’s simply not good enough for Democrats to run against Donald Trump and his MAGA extremist allies while running toward right-wing, dark-money groups like AIPAC,” Bush said.

Other incumbents are warning that by doing nothing, the party is allowing GOP mega-donors to try to dictate the winners of Democratic primaries.

“It’s a Trojan horse — it’s a way to smuggle Republican money into Democratic primaries,” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), a vehement AIPAC critic, told HuffPost. “People should have to answer for taking that toxic money.”

AIPAC is the premier lobbying group protecting the United States’ political and military alliance with Israel. It has held bipartisan sway for decades. But Israel’s devastating offensive in the Gaza Strip has placed its deep ties to the Democratic Party under growing strain.

Plenty of special interests donate to one candidate over another. But no outside group has made it its mission to hand-pick primary winners with the